toddly24

I am worried about messing up my engine in a crash. How can you crash and destroy a motor? Is there any way? 80 dollars for an engine is more money than I would like to pay, so I don't want to mess it up.

FHHuber

The engines tend to NOT get destroyed. The carbs... well

Generally if you hit dirt, the engine will bury itself. I've had to dig as far as 10 inches down to get one.

You can minimize the impact force resulting from a mid-air that pops the wing free... TIE the wing to the fuselage with about 2 ft of heavy fishing leader. Tie the engine on too. (makes it easier to find the engine if its tied to the wing.)

Plastic spinners tend to collapse in a way theat rips the carb off the front of the engine. Avoid plastic spinners... use the shaped aluminum prop-nuts. A metal backed plastic spinner is less likely to rip the carb up than a plastic backed one. (for the scale planes... thats an important tip) A $7 or $8 spinner is cheaper than a $25 + carb.

There is the occasional crunch that hits at a bad angle and bends the crankshaft... and you can hit a rock and knock the engine case in half even. But these are much less common than just burying the engine deep in the dirt. the dirt cleans off. (don't move ANYTHING till you get most of the dirt off... you can damage the crab or score the piston and lner)

Mike in DC

The trick to avoiding engine injury (to the extent it is possible) is to make sure the mount is weaker than the engine (but strong enough to handle non-crash stress). After many crashes, I have found that the best bet for a gutterpipe spad (.40 size), is to cut the firewall so it just fits inside the fuse (don't use a lip!). Attach the firewall with 1/2" #4 screws, one on each side. In a crash, these screws will tear through the PVC, and, with luck, prevent damage to the engine.

There's only so much you can do, however. If you go in to concrete or asphalt full speed, you'll destroy most engines. What I've seen happen is the mounting bars tear out of the crankcase, leaving holes in the case. You'll hear a lot about bending a crankshaft, but I've never done that or seen it. The most common engine injury I've seen is breaking off the needle valve, or pushing the carb back into the engine, usually breaking the body of the engine at the same time. Sometimes these can be fixed.

If you do destroy an engine, don't throw it away! You may be able to use the parts to fix the next engine you damage.

Tattoo

One of the worst things that kills and engine is to crash it, and then get dirt in the carb, and then turn the engine or even start it again. The engine looks fine, but the dirt inside acts like sandpaper and grinds away the engine's insides. Several times of doing this and you will wonder why your engine doesn't have very much power. To eliminate this, try to develope the reaction to always kill the throttle if you think you are about to crash. Never ever turn the engine after a crash if you got any dirt in the carb. I always have a can of spray brake or carb cleaner (automotive section at Wal-Mart) with me. If I get dirt in the carb in a crash, but I managed to close the throttle before impact...I simply hold the airplane upsidedown and rinse out the dirt with the cleaner. If I even suspect that my carb was open and any dirt got past the carb, I will take the carb off, and rinse it out as well as the intake area of the engine with the cleaner...then put the carb back on before flying again.

toddly24

Thanks guys, good stuff.

mAvRiCk-inactive

I have never crashed to have to dig an engine out but stay away from windy days with ssand blowing

Whenever you think yuo are goign to crash close the throttle as much as possible if you can

Dan

Good luck and welcome back to the hobby!!!

toddly24

I am glad I'm back into the sport. I wish I would have never gotten rid of my plane. But, oh well. We all make mistakes.

Flypaper 2

I keep a few Q tips in my field box to get the big chunks out after I turf the Pizza box then flush it out with the fuel pump. Thats new Q tips, not prewaxed ones.